Indoor lighting control based on outdoor light

ABSTRACT

A lighting fixture includes a light source that emits an illumination light and a receiver configured to receive a lighting control message from a photo sensor device. The lighting fixture further includes a lighting controller configured to adjust the illumination light based on the lighting control message. Adjusting the illumination light by the lighting controller includes changing a Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) of the illumination light.

RELATED APPLICATIONS AND CLAIM OF PRIORITY

The present application is a continuation application of and claimspriority to U.S. Nonprovisional patent application Ser. No. 15/908,537,filed Feb. 28, 2018 and titled “Indoor Lighting Control Based on OutdoorLight.” The entire contents of the preceding application areincorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to lighting solutions, and moreparticularly to controlling indoor lighting based on outdoor light.

BACKGROUND

During daytime, indoor spaces are often illuminated independently oflighting conditions on the outside of the indoor spaces. For example,the light provided by an indoor lighting fixture is often the sameregardless of the time of day. As another example, the light provided byan indoor lighting fixture is often the same regardless of the weathercondition outdoors. Even when the intensity of the indoor light isadjusted, the correlated color temperature (CCT) may be left unchangedor may be changed independently of outdoor lighting conditions. However,the quality of the indoor light is generally at its highest if the CCTand the color quality (color rendering index (CRI)) of the indoor lightmatches or correlates with the CCT and CRI of the outdoor daylight.Further, CCT and light quality matching between indoor lighting andoutdoor lighting may be beneficial in maintaining the Circadian Rhythm.For example, a warmer CCT is generally preferred as the outdoor lightlevel is lower during morning and evening hours, and a cooler CCT may begenerally preferred during daytime between the morning and eveninghours. Thus, a solution that provides improved and adaptive indoorlighting may be desirable.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure relates generally to lighting solutions, and moreparticularly to controlling indoor lighting based on outdoor light. Inan example embodiment, a lighting fixture includes a light source thatemits an illumination light and a receiver configured to receive alighting control message from a photo sensor device. The lightingfixture further includes a lighting controller configured to adjust theillumination light based on the lighting control message. Adjusting theillumination light by the lighting controller includes changing aCorrelated Color Temperature (CCT) of the illumination light.

In another example embodiment, a photo sensor device includes a lightsensor circuit configured to sense multiple components of an outdoorlight that are in multiple ranges of wavelengths. The light sensorcircuit is further configured to generate a lighting control messagebased on the multiple components of the outdoor light. The photo sensordevice further includes a transmitter configured to transmit thelighting control message.

In another example embodiment, a lighting system includes a lightingfixture that emits an illumination light to illuminate an indoor spaceand a photo sensor device located to sense an outdoor light. The photosensor device is configured to generate a lighting control message basedon the outdoor light. The lighting fixture is configured to adjust aCorrelated Color Temperature (CCT) of the illumination light based onthe lighting control message.

These and other aspects, objects, features, and embodiments will beapparent from the following description and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are notnecessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a lighting system that adjusts an indoor light basedon an outdoor light according to an example embodiment;

FIG. 2 illustrates a CCT value curve of an outdoor light with respect todifferent times of day according to an example embodiment;

FIG. 3 illustrates details of the lighting system of FIG. 1 according toan example embodiment;

FIG. 4 illustrates different components of the outdoor light withrespect to different ranges of wavelengths according to an exampleembodiment; and

FIG. 5 illustrates details of the lighting system of FIG. 1 according toanother example embodiment.

The drawings illustrate only example embodiments and are therefore notto be considered limiting in scope. The elements and features shown inthe drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placedupon clearly illustrating the principles of the example embodiments.Additionally, certain dimensions or placements may be exaggerated tohelp visually convey such principles. In the drawings, the samereference numerals that are used in different drawings designate like orcorresponding, but not necessarily identical elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

In the following paragraphs, example embodiments will be described infurther detail with reference to the figures. In the description, wellknown components, methods, and/or processing techniques are omitted orbriefly described. Furthermore, reference to various feature(s) of theembodiments is not to suggest that all embodiments must include thereferenced feature(s).

Turning now to the figures, particular example embodiments aredescribed. FIG. 1 illustrates a lighting system 100 that adjusts anindoor light based on an outdoor light according to an exampleembodiment. In some example embodiments, the system 100 includes alighting fixture 104 and a photo sensor device 106. The lighting fixture104 may provide an illumination light 116 to an indoor space 112 insidea building 102 (e.g., a residential or office building) or a similarstructure. For example, the indoor space 112 may be a room, a hallway,underground facility, etc. inside the building 102. The lighting fixture104 may be a suspended lighting fixture, a recessed lighting fixture, oranother type of lighting fixture. For example, the lighting fixture 104may be suspended from or recessed in a ceiling of the building 102.

In some example embodiments, the building 102 may have one or morewindows 110 through which outdoor light 114 from outside of the buildingenters the indoor space 112. The outdoor light 114 may be reflected offobjects, such as trees, other buildings, terrain, etc. and surfaces thatmay contribute to the characteristics of the outdoor light 114. Theindoor space 112 may be illuminated by the outdoor light 114 enteringthrough the one or more windows and the illumination light 116 providedby the lighting fixture 104. In some alternative embodiments, the indoorspace 112 may be fully or mostly devoid of outdoor light 114. Forexample, the indoor space 112 may be a room or a space that is too deepinside the building 102 to receive a meaningful amount of the outdoorlight 114. As another example, the building 102 may not have the one ormore windows 110.

In some example embodiments, the photo sensor device 106 may be locatedat least partially outside of the building 102 to sense the outdoorlight 114. For example, the photo sensor device 106 may be attached tothe building 102 or another structure that is outside of the building102. Alternatively, the photo sensor device 106 may be located on theinside of the building 102. in a manner that allows the photo sensordevice 106 to sense the outdoor light 114.

In some example embodiments, the photo sensor device 106 may sense theoutdoor light 114 and generate one or more lighting control messagesbased on the outdoor light 114. The photo sensor device 106 may transmitthe lighting control message to the lighting fixture 104 using one ormore signals 118. For example, the photo sensor device 106 maywirelessly transmit one or more signals 118 that carry the lightingcontrol message to the lighting fixture 104 wirelessly. Alternatively,the photo sensor device 106 may transmit the lighting control message tothe lighting fixture 104 via a wired connection.

In some example embodiments, the lighting fixture 104 may receive thelighting control message and adjust the illumination light 116 based onthe lighting control message. To illustrate, the lighting fixture 104may set or adjust the CCT of the illumination light 116 based on thelighting control message. For example, the lighting fixture 104 maychange the CCT of the illumination light to closely/substantially matcha CCT of the outdoor light 114 sensed by the photo sensor device 106.

In some example embodiments, the lighting fixture 104 may set or adjustthe CCT of the it lamination light 116 based on one or more of thedifferent types of information included in the lighting control messagereceived from the photo sensor device 106. To illustrate, the lightingfixture 104 may set or adjust the CCT of the illumination light 116based on the information in the lighting control message that indicatesor corresponds to the light level of the outdoor light 114. For example,the lighting control message may include a value that indicates a lightlevel of the outdoor light 114. A lower value may indicate a light levelthat is typically present during early morning or evening times, ahigher value may indicate a light level that is typically present duringdaytime between early morning and evening times, and a value that isbelow a particular threshold may indicate nighttime.

In some example embodiments, the lighting fixture 104 may set or adjustthe CCT of the illumination light 116 based on the information in thelighting control message that indicates or corresponds to the blue lightcomponent of the outdoor light 114. To illustrate, the blue lightcomponent of the outdoor light 114 may correspond to a wavelength range(e.g., ˜425 nm to ˜500 nm) of the outdoor light 114. For example, thelighting control message may include a value that indicates orcorresponds to the amplitude of the blue light component of the outdoorlight 114.

In some example embodiments, the lighting fixture 104 may set or adjustthe CCT of the illumination light 116 based on information thatindicates or corresponds to other components of the outdoor light 114instead of or in addition to the light level and/or the blue lightcomponent of the outdoor light 114. For example, the lighting controlmessage may include information that indicates or corresponds to othertypes of information such as red light component and/or oiliercomponents of the outdoor light 114. To illustrate, the lighting controlmessage may include information that indicates or corresponds to thelight level of the outdoor light 114, to the blue light component of theoutdoor light 114, and/or to other information such red light componentand/or green light component of the outdoor light 114.

In some example embodiments, the lighting control message may includeinformation that indicates or corresponds to one or more components ofthe outdoor light 114 with respect to one or more wavelength ranges asdetermined by the photo sensor device 106. Components of the outdoorlight 114 with respect to different wavelength ranges are shown in FIG.5 according to an example embodiment.

In some example embodiments, the lighting control message may includeinformation that indicates a CCT value that the illumination light 116should have. To illustrate, the lighting control message may include avalue (e.g., a voltage value) that can be used by the lighting fixture104 to set the CCT of the illumination light to a particular CCT valuecorresponding to the value included in the lighting control message.

In some example embodiments, the lighting fixture 104 may operate in aparticular mode based on the lighting control message. For example, thelighting fixture 104 may operate in a daylight mode, in a low lightmode, or in another mode depending on the information contained in thelighting control message. To illustrate, the lighting fixture 104 mayoperate in a particular mode based on one or more of a light level ofthe outdoor light 114, blue light component of the outdoor light 114,and/or other information that may be contained in the lighting controlmessage indicating the outdoor lighting condition. For example, thelighting fixture 104 may operate in a daylight mode when the lightingcontrol message indicates that the outdoor lighting conditioncorresponds to a daylight lighting condition that is typically presentbetween early morning (e.g., between sunrise and 8 a.m.) and evening(e.g., between 5 p.m. and sunset) times. It is to be understood thattypical early morning and evening times may vary based on locationand/or season.

In the daylight mode, the lighting fixture 104 may operate such that theCCT of the illumination light 116 ranges between a first CCT value(e.g., ˜4500K) and a second CCT value (e.g., ˜6500K). For example, inthe daylight mode, the lighting fixture 104 may adjust the CCT of theillumination light 116 between the first and second CCT valuesregardless of the dim level setting of the lighting fixture 104.

In some example embodiments, the lighting fixture 104 may operate in alow light mode when the lighting control message indicates that theoutdoor lighting condition corresponds to a low lighting condition thatis typically present during early morning (e.g., between sunrise and 8a.m.) and evening (e.g., between 5 p.m. and sunset) times. For example,the lighting fixture 104 may operate in the low light mode if thelighting control message received from the photo sensor device 106indicates a low light level, low blue light component, and/or relativelyhigh red light component of the outdoor light 114.

In some example embodiments, in the low light mode, the lighting fixture104 may set or adjust the CCT of the illumination light 116 based on thedim level setting of the lighting fixture 104. To illustrate, during thelow light mode, the lighting fixture 104 may adjust the CCT of theillumination light 116 may set to a particular CCT value when the dimlevel of the illumination light 116 is set to threshold dim level.Alternatively or in addition, the lighting fixture 104 may adjust theCCT of the illumination light 116 in correlation with adjustments of thedim level setting of the lighting fixture 104. For example, the lightingfixture 104 may adjust the CCT of the illumination light 116 todifferent CCT values (e.g., 3000K, 2000K, 1000K, etc.) when the dimlevel of the illumination light 116 is adjusted to corresponding dimlevels (e.g., 70%, 50%, 30%, etc.).

By adjusting the CCT of the illumination light 116 based on the outdoorlighting condition indicated by the lighting control message from thephoto sensor device 106, the illumination light 116 may provide improvedlighting inside the building 102. For example, the illumination light116 may have improved quality by adjusting the CCT of the illuminationlight 116 to have a CCT that closely/substantially matches the CCT ofthe outdoor light 114. For example, the illumination light 116 may beadjusted based on the lighting control message to have a CCT that iswithin 100K of the CCT of the outdoor light 114. To illustrate, betweenearly morning and evening times, the CCT of the illumination light 116may be adjusted by the lighting fixture 104 to in a range ofapproximately 6400K to 6600K when the CCI of the outdoor light isapproximately 6500K. As another example, the CCT of the illuminationlight 116 may be adjusted by the lighting fixture 104 to be in a rangeof approximately 4400K to 4600K when the CCI of the outdoor light isapproximately 4500K. Further, during early morning and evening times,adjusting the CCT of the illumination light 116 in correlation with thedim level setting provides improved indoor lighting quality.

In some example embodiments, the photo sensor device 106 can also sendother types of information that can be used to automate the building 102in response to outdoor elements, such as sunshine, temperature, seasonalchanges, humidity and/or moisture. For example, the temperature,humidity, etc. of the indoor space 112 may be adjusted based oncorresponding information provided by the photo sensor device 106.

In some alternative embodiments, the system 100 may include multiplelighting fixtures that receive one or more lighting control messagesfrom the photo sensor device 106. For example, different lightingfixtures that receive the one or more lighting control messages from thephoto sensor device 106 may be in different parts of the building 102,such as in different rooms of the building 102. In some alternativeembodiments, the lighting fixture 104 and the photo sensor device 106may be at different locations than shown in FIG. 1 without departingfrom the scope of this disclosure.

FIG. 2 illustrates a CCT value curve 200 of the outdoor light 114 withrespect to different times of day according to an example embodiment.Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, in some cases, the CCT of the outdoor light114 may be approximately 2000K at sunrise and may increase toapproximately 4000K at the end of early morning (e.g., 8 a.m.). From theend of early morning, the CCT of the outdoor light 114 may increase upto approximately 6500K. and decrease back to approximately 4000K by lateafternoon (e.g., 5 p.m.). The CCT of the outdoor light 114 may continueto decrease down to approximately 2000K at sunset. It is to beunderstood that typical early morning and evening times may vary basedon location, season, etc. It is also to be understood that the CCT ofthe outdoor light may depend on weather conditions and other factorssuch as air quality, etc.

FIG. 3 illustrates details of the lighting system 100 of FIG. 1according to an example embodiment. Referring to FIGS. 1-3, in someexample embodiments, the photo sensor device 106 includes a light sensorcircuit 302, a transmitter 304, a battery 316, and a photovoltaiccell/unit 318. The light sensor circuit 302 may sense the outdoor light114 and generate the lighting control message described above. Forexample, the light sensor circuit 302 may sense one or more of the lightlevels of the outdoor light 114, the blue light component of the outdoorlight 114, the components of the outdoor light 114 in differentwavelength ranges, etc. and generate the lighting control message basedon the sensed information. The light sensor circuit 302 provides thelighting control message to the transmitter 304 that transmits thelighting control message wirelessly or via a wired connection.

In some example embodiments, the light sensor circuit 302 senses one ormore components of the outdoor light 114 that are in one or more rangesof wavelengths. To illustrate, a first component of the outdoor light114 may be in a first range of wavelengths (e.g., ˜425 nm to ˜500 nm),and a second component of the outdoor light 114 may be in a second rangeof wavelengths (e.g., 600 nm to 650 nm). For example, differentcomponents of the outdoor light 114 with respect to different ranges ofwavelengths are shown in FIG. 4 for a particular time of the dayaccording to an example embodiment. Some of the ranges of wavelengthsmay be non-overlapping with each other, while other ranges ofwavelengths may overlap. In FIG. 4, the lower range component maycorrespond to the blue light component of the outdoor light 114, theupper range component may correspond to the red light component of theoutdoor light 114, and the middle range component may correspond to thegreen light component of the outdoor light 114. The light sensor circuit302 may determine the amplitude of one or more of the differentcomponents corresponding to the one or more ranges of wavelengths andgenerate the lighting control message accordingly.

Referring to FIGS. 1-4, in some example embodiments, the battery 316 mayprovide electrical power to the transmitter 304 and to the light sensorcircuit 302. For example, the photovoltaic cell 318 may convert solarenergy into electrical power that is used to charge battery 316, whichin turn can power the transmitter 304 and the light sensor circuit 302.

In some example embodiments, the lighting fixture 104 includes areceiver 306, a lighting controller 308, a driver 310, and a lightsource 312 such as a light emitting diode (LED) light source. Forexample, the driver 310 may be an LED driver. The light source 312 mayinclude white LEDs and other phosphor converted color LEDs that togethercan produce the illumination light 116 that may be a full spectrum highquality light. For example, the illumination light 116 may be adjustedto closely match daylight.

In some example embodiments, the lighting controller 308 may control theillumination light 116 based on the dim level setting and the lightingcontrol message from the photo sensor device 106. To illustrate, thelighting controller 308 may set/adjust the light level of theillumination light 116 based on the received dim level setting orcommand. For example, the receiver 306 or another component of thelighting fixture 104 may receive the dim level setting or command from awall-mounted control device 314 (e.g., a wall dimmer, a wall station,etc.) or from another control device wirelessly or via a wiredconnection.

In some example embodiments, the lighting controller 308 may set/adjustthe CCT of the illumination light 116 based on the lighting controlmessage. For example, the receiver 306 may receive the lighting controlmessage from the photo sensor device 106 and provide the lightingcontrol message to the lighting controller 308. The lighting controller308 may set/adjust the CCT of the illumination light 116 based on theinformation contained in the lighting control message in a mannerdescribed above. To illustrate, the lighting controller 308 may processthe lighting control message to determine the information containedtherein and control the CCT of the illumination light 116 accordingly.

For example, the lighting control message may indicate the CCT of theoutdoor light 114, and the lighting controller 308 may process thelighting control message and change the CCT of the illumination light116 to closely match the CCT of the outdoor light 114. As anotherexample, the lighting control message may indicate the blue and/or otherlight components of the outdoor light 114, and the lighting controller308 may process the lighting control message and adjust the illuminationlight 116 to have similar blue and/or other components that can resultin the CCT of the illumination light 116 closely matching the CCT of theoutdoor light 114. As another example, the lighting control message mayindicate the component of the outdoor light 114 in one or morewavelength ranges, and the lighting controller 308 may process thelighting control message and adjust the illumination light 116 to have asimilar component that can result in the CCT of the illumination light116 closely matching the CCT of the outdoor light 114.

In some example embodiments, the lighting control message may indicatethe light level of the outdoor light 114, and lighting controller 308may operate the lighting fixture 104 in a daylight mode, in a low lightmode, or in another mode depending on the light level indicated by thelighting control message. Alternatively or in addition, the controller308 may use other information, such as the blue light component of theoutdoor light 114 indicated by the lighting control message, todetermine whether to operate the lighting fixture 104 in a particularmode. In some example embodiments, the lighting controller 308 mayinclude hardware (e.g., a CPU, a memory device, etc.), a software code,or a combination of thereof to perform its operations.

In some alternative embodiments, the receiver 306 and the lightingcontroller 308 may be integrated into a single component or into thedriver 310 without departing from the scope of this disclosure. In someexample embodiments, the wall-mounted control device 314 may be omittedwithout departing from the scope of this disclosure. In some alternativeembodiments, one or more components (e.g., the solar cell 318) of thephoto sensor device 106 may be omitted or integrated into a singlecomponent.

FIG. 5 illustrates details of the lighting system 100 of FIG. 1according to another example embodiment. Refuting to FIGS. 1-5, in someexample embodiments, the light sensor circuit 302 may include lightsensor elements 502, 504, 506 that can sense different components of theoutdoor light 114. For example, the light sensor element 502 may sensethe component of the outdoor light 114 in the lower range shown in FIG.4, the light sensor element 504 may sense the component of the outdoorlight 114 in the middle range, and the light sensor element 506 maysense the component of the outdoor light 114 in the upper range. Thatis, each light sensor element 502, 504, 506 may have a photosensitivitythat corresponds to a particular range of wavelengths of the outdoorlight 114, The light sensor elements 502, 504, 506 may each output oneor more electrical signals based on the sensing of the respectivecomponent of the outdoor light 114.

In some example embodiments, the light sensor circuit 302 may alsoinclude a sensor controller 508 that can process electrical signals fromthe light sensor elements 502, 504, 506 and generate the lightingcontrol message described above. For example, the sensor controller 508may generate the lighting control message that includes information(e.g., one or more values) indicating one or more of the CCT of theoutdoor light 114, a light level of the outdoor light 114, a particularcomponent (e.g., blue component amount) of the outdoor light 114, etc.The sensor controller 508 may include hardware (e.g., a CPU, a memorydevice, etc.), a software code, or a combination thereof to perform itsoperations.

In some example embodiments, the transmitter 304 may receive thelighting control message from the sensor controller 508 and transmit thelighting control message wirelessly or via a wired connection. Thetransmitter 304 may transmit the lighting control message in compliancewith a communication standard such as Wi-Fi and Ethernet standards.

In some example embodiments, the lighting fixture 104 may include andmay be in communication with a lighting control circuit 510 thatreceives the lighting control message transmitted by the transmitter304. For example, the lighting control circuit 510 may include thereceiver 306, the lighting controller 308, and the driver 310 moreclearly shown in FIG. 3 and may perform the operations described abovewith respect to the components. The lighting control circuit 510 mayreceive and process the lighting control message and adjust the CCT ofthe illumination light 116 based on the information contained in thelighting control message as described above. As described above, the CCTof the illumination light 116 may be adjusted based on the lightingcontrol message to closely match the CCT of the outdoor light 114. Forexample, the lighting control circuit 510 may control the amount ofpower provided to the different LED branches of the light source 312,where, for example, different LED branches emit lights dominated by arespective CCT such that the combination of the lights has a desiredCCT. The CCT of the illumination light 116 may be adjusted periodicallyor continuously to maintain the CCT of the illumination light 116 inclose match with the CCT of the outdoor light 114.

In some example embodiments, the CCT of the illumination light 116 maybe limited within a range of CCT values (e.g., 4500K-6500K) during thedaylight mode described above. In some example embodiments, the CCT ofthe illumination light 116 may also be limited to below a particular CCT(e.g., 3000K) during the low light mode described above.

By providing indoor lighting that has a CCT that closely matches the CCTof the outdoor light, improved color perception may be achieved inindoor environments. The close matching of the CCT of the illuminationlight 116 to the CCT of the outdoor light 114 may also help maintain theCircadian Rhythm of occupants of the indoor space 112. During lowoutdoor light conditions, such early morning and evening hours, theadjustment of the CCT of the illumination light 116 based on the dimlevel setting enables the gradual introduction and removal of the bluelight by gradually increasing and decreasing the CCT of the illuminationlight 116 in correlation with the adjustment of the dim level.

In some alternative embodiments, the light sensor circuit 302 mayinclude more or fewer light sensor elements than shown in FIG. 5 withoutdeparting from the scope of this disclosure. In some alternativeembodiments, one or more components of the light sensor circuit 302and/or the transmitter 304 may be combined without departing from thescope of this disclosure. In some alternative embodiments, the lightsource 312 may include more or fewer LED branches than shown withoutdeparting from the scope of this disclosure.

Although particular embodiments have been described herein in detail,the descriptions are by way of example. The features of the exampleembodiments described herein are representative and, in alternativeembodiments, certain features, elements, and/or steps may be added oromitted. Additionally, modifications to aspects of the exampleembodiments described herein may be made by those skilled in the artwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the following claims, thescope of which are to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as toencompass modifications and equivalent structures.

What is claimed is:
 1. A lighting system, comprising: an indoor lightfixture that emits an illumination light comprising a plurality ofwavelengths, including wavelengths between 425 nm and 500 nm, and havinga first mode of operation and a second mode of operation; a sensor,remote from the indoor light fixture, to sense one or more wavelengthcomponents of an outdoor light between 425 nm and 500 nm; and acommunication device, in communication with the sensor and a controllerof the indoor light fixture, configured to generate a plurality oflighting control messages based on the one or more wavelength componentsof the outdoor light detected by the sensor, wherein the controller ofthe indoor lighting fixture is configured to: when operating in a firstmode, adjust one or more wavelength components of the illumination lightbetween 425 nm and 500 nm based on a first lighting control messagereceived from the communication device, determine when to operate in asecond mode based on a second lighting control message, and whenoperating in a second mode, adjust the one or more wavelength componentsof the illumination light based on a setting.
 2. The lighting system ofclaim 1, wherein the setting is one of a plurality of dim levelsettings.
 3. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the indoor lightingfixture is further configured to determine when to operate in the firstmode based on a third lighting control message.
 4. The lighting systemof claim 1, wherein the first lighting control message includesinformation indicative of a correlated color temperature (CCT) of theoutdoor light sensed by the sensor.
 5. The lighting system of claim 1,wherein, when operating in the first mode, the controller is configuredto adjust the illumination light based on the lighting control messageby changing the CCT of the illumination light to substantially match aCCT of the outdoor light.
 6. The lighting fixture of claim 1, wherein,when operating in a first mode, the CCT of the illumination light rangesbetween a first CCT value and a second CCT value.
 7. The lightingfixture of claim 6, wherein the first CCT value is approximately 4500Kand wherein the second CCT value is approximately 6500K.
 8. The lightingfixture of claim 6, further comprising, when operating in a second mode,the CCT of the illumination light is below a third CCT value.
 9. Thelighting fixture of claim 8, wherein the third CCT is approximately3000K in the second mode.
 10. The lighting system of claim 1, whereinthe communication device is configured to wirelessly transmit theplurality of lighting control messages.
 11. The lighting system of claim1, wherein the sensor includes: a light sensor circuit configured tosense multiple wavelength components of the outdoor light that are inmultiple ranges of wavelengths.
 12. The lighting system of claim 11,wherein the light sensor circuit is further configured to generate theplurality of lighting control messages based on the multiple wavelengthcomponents of the outdoor light.
 13. The lighting system of claim 11,wherein a first component of the multiple wavelength components of theoutdoor light is in a first range of wavelengths and wherein a secondcomponent of the multiple wavelength components of the outdoor light isin a second range of wavelengths that is different from the first rangeof wavelengths.
 14. The lighting system of claim 13, wherein the lightsensor circuit comprises a first light sensor element and a second lightsensor element, wherein the first light sensor element senses the firstcomponent, and wherein second light sensor element senses the secondcomponent.
 15. The lighting system of claim 13, wherein the first rangeof wavelengths is non-overlapping with the second range of wavelengths.16. The lighting system of claim 13, wherein a third component of themultiple wavelength components of the outdoor light is in a third rangeof wavelengths that is different from the first range of wavelengths andthe second range of wavelengths.
 17. The lighting system of claim 13,wherein the first component includes a blue light component of theoutdoor light and wherein the second component includes a red lightcomponent of the outdoor light.
 18. The lighting system of claim 1,wherein the communication device is included in or attached to thesensor.
 19. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the communicationdevice is remotely located from the indoor light fixture.
 20. A lightingsystem, comprising: an indoor light fixture that emits an illuminationlight comprising a plurality of wavelengths, including wavelengthsbetween 425 nm and 500 nm, and having a first mode of operation and asecond mode of operation; a sensor, remote from the indoor lightfixture, to sense one or more wavelength components of an outdoor lightbetween 425 nm and 500 nm; and a communication device, in communicationwith the sensor and a controller of the indoor light fixture, configuredto generate a plurality of lighting control messages based on the one ormore wavelength components of the outdoor light detected by the sensor,wherein the controller of the indoor lighting fixture is configured to:when operating in a first mode, adjust one or more wavelength componentsof the illumination light between 425 nm and 500 nm based on a firstlighting control message received from the communication device,determine when to operate in a second mode based on a second lightingcontrol message, when operating in a second mode, adjust the one or morewavelength components of the illumination light based on one of aplurality of dim level settings, and determine when to operate in thefirst mode based on a third lighting control message.